For A Thousand Years
by KHB123
Summary: A collection of ItaIzu one-shots from their childhood to adolescence as best friends and lovers. There will be pre-massacre, non-massacre, and after-massacre.
1. A Lesson on Love

**Here's a first attempted lemon one-shot for Itachi and Izumi, my new favorite Naruto couple. When I say its my first, I MEAN it's my very first lemon one-shot. Hopefully it's not too cheesy, but who says love can come with logic, right?** **Yeah, I'm a sucker for romance, but I'm also a greenie, so I'm kind of nervous.**

 **Summary:** Spending a beautiful day with his beloved, filled with feelings that go beyond logic, Itachi asks her a question that Izumi is more than happy to answer.

 **Rating:** M for sexual content

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 **A Lesson on Love**

It was a beautiful summer day in Konoha. The clouds drifted over the sun like white, heavenly landscapes.

Seventeen year-old Itachi leaned against one of the village stones, alone on the grassy field of the memorial site with Izumi, who was sitting five feet away in front of him. Off to the side was the picnic basket and blanket, abandoned after their previous snack for dumplings. This place was more or less where Itachi first met her….or rather, first noticed her, when they were both six years old.

She was leaning back on her hands as she tilted her face toward the sun, her eyes closed and expression relaxed. She wore a yellow summer dress, revealing the smooth bareness of her shoulders and collarbone, dipping down to the silky narrowness of her creamy breasts like a delicious offering.

He kept staring at her with a look of softness and wonder, feeling so at peace as the afternoon wind swept by. He loved how the breeze ruffled her long, dark hair, sweeping in tangles across her slim back from the waist down, caressing her face. He wanted to run his fingers along her curtain of brown hair, shining like bronze under the sunlight. He wanted to press his nose along her neck and drag it lightly along her collarbone as he inhaled her floral scent. He wanted to run the palms of his hands along her lucid torso, explore the curves of her breasts with ravishing, lustful content….

His member was hardening, _throbbing_ with need. The need to be _inside_ of her. If not for his restraint in front of her, he would been tempted to touch where it ached and ease the pain in relieving strokes until he would be lost in euphoria.

For a long time now, he had been overwhelmed with strange feelings that had made him hot and tingly whenever he so much as thought of his lover. Not just from his cock, but everywhere. His mouth would dry and his heart felt like it would burst. He would be frozen with fear, but relish in its heat. He just couldn't find the words.

It reminded him of a question he had pondered over years ago. A question that sounded scholarly and genuine. One he answered for himself, but was never truly satisfied with his own result.

"Izumi?" Itachi murmured.

"Hm?" she hummed, her eyes still closed.

"What is love?"

"What?" Izumi turned to look at him in surprise. Her large brown eyes sparkled with the innocent curiosity that always bewitched him.

"What is love?" he repeated, more firmly.

"Don't you know?"

"I want to hear _you_ say it."

Izumi furrowed her brow thoughtfully, her nose wrinkling cutely before she spoke, "Well, how should I explain it?" She turned over and scooted closer to him until she was kneeling in between his parted legs. "Love comes from the heart. It's not something that should come from logic, it should come naturally. Love is kind and selfless. It's the scariest feeling in the world, but also inspires courage. Love feels like when your heart can't stop beating in your chest…." She leaned her face closer to his, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "….and you have no control over how much it hurts."

"Like a cardiac arrest?" Itachi echoed, the heart in his chest pounding as her face was inch from his own.

Izumi smiled. "Something like that….only the pain is sweet and thrilling."

She reached up and ran her hands through the parting his bangs, slowly brushing them back until a slow exhale escape the raven as his eyes fluttered closed. "It makes you feel dizzy and light when it responds," she murmured, drawn by his softening reaction to her touch, "but heavy and agonizing when not returned. Love can be a burden, an obstacle multiplied by many more, but so is life. _True_ love should overcome anything and everything that attempts to knock us over. Love is eternal, beyond our comprehension." She became a little sad, eyes drifting sideways in thought. "I don't think we can completely understand it because it makes us do things we believe we're not capable of doing. I think love can destroy as much it can heal if we're not careful."

Since she said that, he believed it. Itachi opened his eyes to look at her, still relaxing from her hands over his hair. "I love Sasuke," he murmured, catching Izumi's attention. "Everything you have told me is what I have always felt and still do feel toward Sasuke. It makes me….capable of anything."

Izumi bit her lip and looked down. "Yes…." she whispered, her hands beginning to lower.

She felt his hand cup her chin and tilted it back up to meet his intense black eyes. "But there is something else that he lacks that I always feel for someone else," said Itachi quietly. He leaned closer until his nose brushed with hers as the tip. "What about….being _in love_?" he breathed. "Does it feel the same?"

Izumi's heart pounded faster, almost rendering her breathless while feeling his hot breath on her lips. "Yes….and no," she breathed back. "There's much more to being in love. It isn't just the love of a friend or family member. Your heart is faster than normal…." Her hand stand to dip under his shirt and run across the bareness of his muscular chest, feeling it rising and fall faster from her touch. "….swelling….throbbing…."

Itachi panted heavily as her hand dipped down his stomach, her fingers leaving behind silky trails like flames, sinking lower, until her fingers brushed over the narrow tent forming from his pants. "….to the point that it creates a hot pool in your stomach…." He shivered when her fingers hovered ticklishly over the rim of his pants, before slowly easing beneath the cloth, brushing his bare, throbbing erection, make Itachi's breath shudder. "….and a stabbing, bitter-sweet pain between your legs."

Izumi's hand caught hold of his erection like a snare, smirking when her boyfriend's eyes widened.

"AH! Hah…." Itachi let out half-gasp, half-cry out in both surprise and immense pleasure when feeling her fingers _squeeze_ around his hot, stiff member. "Oh…."

Pressing his head back against the stone, he bucked his hips slightly, leaning into her hand, silently begging her for more. Her hand still stroking his member in tight squeezes, her hazed eyes never leaving his, Izumi readjusted herself until straddling her legs on either side of his hips before scooting closer, grinding her pelvis hard with the stiff mound.

Itachi gave her breathless smirk and grabbed her ass in a tight clutch, making Izumi gasp.

"Ah!"

The skirts of her dress draped over their hips. Her wrapped her free arm around his neck to balance herself.

"To be in love is irrational, but dangerous," she panted with Itachi as she continued to slowly grind her hips and stroking his manhood altogether. She was just about melting under the intensity in his eyes. "You are taking a large step toward something that you can't ever back away from when you take it. You learn to look into their mind, heart, and soul. You learn to feel their pain, to understand their reasoning….even if you can never completely. Love never dies. It can only continue and grow stronger. Ah….hah…."

Itachi's hand smoothed across her ass to her thigh. Her fingers traced and dipped gently under the flaps of her dress, skimming the hot smoothness of her skin, narrowing down to the dampness forming between her legs. Izumi shivered, breathing his name when his finger trailed the soaking hairs of her womanhood.

He reached up with his left hand and cupped her face. His thumb gently traced the mole on her cheekbone. Her cheeks blushing pink, Izumi hummed and leaned into the heat of his palm, closing her eyes to enjoy his caress.

"But what if you're wrong?" said Itachi huskily, looking unsure of her words. "What is love can be destroyed? What if my heart stops beating as I breathe, to the point when it feels cold and still as stone?"

Izumi slowly parted her eyes, looking dreamy.

"Then it means that you are lost. That your love has been ripped away, or deprived. Or maybe forgotten. But it never dies. It it did die, it had never been real love they were feeling."

Izumi took Itachi's hand with both of her and placed it firmly over her left breast. "Do you feel my heart, Itachi-kun?" she whispered.

Itachi's breathing became course when feeling the rapid thumping of her heart beneath her breast and squeezed. "Yes."

"Do you feel it beating?" Izumi gasped, almost whimpered at his molten touch searing through the thin cloth of her dress.

His hand squeezed the mound tighter, feeling the nipple beneath the fabric of her dress perk between his fingers, causing Izumi to moan softly, tilting her head back with her chest further extended.

"Yes," Itachi breathed, enjoy the sound his girlfriend made as he continued to fondle her breast.

Izumi's pussy was already soaked as she continued to buck against his lingering fingers, letting out a whimper with need as they tickled the flaps of her lips. Itachi always enjoyed teasing her.

Her fingers were stroking up and down repeatedly over his cock beneath his trousers. She could feel the perks of her breast hardening from the strokes of Itachi's exploring hand. The male Uchiha moaned softly.

"I have no control with my feelings," managed Izumi in a pained moan. "I can hide them, but I can never _not_ feel them. It's just like when you hide your emotions…." Her free hand moved to cup his cheek, her thumb tracing one of his tear troughs as he gazed at her, his mouth parted as he panted wetly, ebony eyes misted with lust. "….but it doesn't mean that you are numb of all feelings."

Itachi closed his eyes for moment to lean into her hand, brushing his lips lightly over base of her palm lovingly. His expression then furrowed painfully, before he opened his eyes to meet her own. They were glazed with sadness and longing.

She was so beautiful.

"You really love me?" he murmured quietly, his voice sounding small.

She nodded with a smile. "I do," said Izumi. "With all my heart."

 _Izumi._ Itachi's chest twisted painfully. "What if I don't deserve it?" he whispered.

"Even if you didn't, you still have it," insisted Izumi with an equal whisper. Her forehead pressed against his own, looking deep into his dark, endless pools, brushing her nose with his. "You always did, even when you didn't know it. Unconditionally, by my own choice. I told you, it can't be helped if it was real."

Itachi shut his eyes, mouth tightening as if trying to hold back a pained emotion when feeling her genuine love wash over him like a warm beacon.

After a few moments, he sighed and his eyes slowly opened halfway, managing a small, hopeful smile at the beautiful girl who had his body, heart, and soul. Looking so beautiful, so angelic, so pure and trusting….so _alive_ ….

Him, on the other hand….

How could she have ever loved someone like him?

"Would you love me no matter what I did?" Itachi murmured to her, his lips brushing lightly against hers, mingling hot breaths, as he was lost in doe-brown eyes. He reached up and traced a finger along the side of her cheek, catching a thin strand of her hair midway. "Can your heart take everything that I am?"

Izumi's smile was tender. Her cheeks were radiating with warmth as he traced her face. "That is something I would like to find out for myself," she murmured against his lips, closing her eyes. Her lips caught his and Itachi responded instantly, moving his own with hers to taste her soft sweetness. His tongue stretched and slipped into her entrance, tracing the corners of her mouth. Izumi whimpered and allowed him to explore her mouth, her chest panting with exertion against his own as she responded with equal desperation, taking in the taste of her beloved. The hand cupping his cheek shifted and ran across the long strands of his bangs, brushing them backward as her fingers trailed deeply through his black hair down to his long ponytail.

While Itachi kissed her, relaxing under her hand through his hair, his hand that still lingered beneath her sun dress pressed harder against her soaking-wet pussy, making Izumi buck her hips. His fingers ran along the flaps and finally slipped in one between her entrance with a squelch. Izumi gasped against his mouth when his finger circled around silky walls of her within.

When he slipped in another finger, Izumi parted from his lips and let out a soft cry that sounded like music to Itachi's ears. As he fingers circled and stretched her folded, he bent toward her ear.

"Is love beautiful?" he asked, feeling her heavy breathing against his neck.

"Yes….ah…." As if in retaliation, Izumi squeezed his crotch again, making Itachi close his eyes and groan.

"Is it….ah, warm?"

"Oh, Kami, yes. Yes! Itachi-kun!"

Itachi opened one eye to peek up at her. "Is love….truly unconditional?" he said. "Is it in places where we can't see?"

"Yes."

"Does love make you…." Itachi paused to watch Izumi tilt her head back, closing her eyes and parting her mouth wider as he touched a sweet spot, "….a different person?"

Izumi seemed to be half-lost in delirium. "It makes you….someone you have kept….inside….all along….it's….enlightening….Ah! Itachi…."

Itachi smiled at her state, seeming to melt under her mussed state. Just watching her closed eyes, parted mouth, dampened hair roots, and panting chest, while feeling the wetness between her legs, made him hardened all over again. To think that this was the sweet little girl who had befriended him all those years ago….

"Izumi…." he murmured in his wonder. "I think….I love you…."

"Oh?" Izumi opened her eyes and raised an eyebrow at him, smirking playfully. "I _know_ I love you, Itachi-kun. I always have and always will."

"I have no control….over this feeling….toward you…." panted Itachi, bucking his hips when she stroked him more. "You drive me mad. You always have. You are so beautiful that….that it hurts. Oh, fuck! Izumi….please…."

"Itachi-kun…." Her hand had released his sweltering cock and pulled out from under his trousers, much to Itachi's despair. It brightened slightly when her fingers moved to unzip his pants and pull his erected member free.

"Love is….ah, when we're one body, one soul….am I right?" gasped Itachi, shutting his eyes. His free hand shot down and grabbed at the grass in a tight grip to find restraint.

"Love is one….inside…." groaned Izumi.

"Then please…..oh, shit…." Itachi let out a breathless groan out of desperate. His member was throbbing viciously under her touch. His eyes opened to look at her, now wild with hunger and agony, but filled with love. "Gods, Izumi, let me be inside you," he gasped, "It's too much….it's….tearing…me….apart! I need you now!"

"I know! Me too!" moaned Izumi, her hands now scrambling pull his pants down more to free his member more with fierce tugs.

Feeling himself heat with sweat, Itachi pulled his fingers out of her entrance and swiftly yanked his shirt off from over his head, tossing its aside as the sun kissed his bare chest, now sheen with sweat. His ANBU tattoo was revealed from his shoulder.

Reaching down to help pull her legs further apart, she lifted herself until the head pressed against the flaps of her entrance. Then she began to sink down, pushing him deeply inside of her.

Fire and silk. That was what Itachi felt when he sunk within her, and it felt so, _so good_. They gasped together they truly connected. Itachi felt Izumi's walls squeeze tightly around him and let a noise of pleasure, mingled with Izumi's moans.

 _Izumi!_

Taking hold of her waist to control her movements, he bucked his hips, hitting a certain spot that made her gasp, sending waves of pleasure through both their bodies.

Wrapping her arms loosely around his neck, she leaned over and kissed him deeply. When pulling her head back, keeping her eyes fixed on his, Izumi immediately began rising and sinking over his erection. Their rocking motion started off slow and sweet, the heat building with silent intensity to the point where it was becoming unbearable.

It just felt so good. So mindlessly good.

"You're stronger than me….." Itachi breathed as Izumi meant his thrusts on his lap.

She shook her head wildly. "No….not true….Love makes you….strong…..ah….and weak…..AH!" Izumi gasped when Itachi gave a harder upward thrust. "Feels good…..Itachi-kun….."

Itachi's face tightened with breaking control, lips curling into a growl. Their rhythm was picking up. Watching her bob up and down in his lap, feeling all of her, was exhilarating him. All covered by Izumi's dress.

"Iz-u-mi….ah, fuck…..you're so tight….." he groaned huskily. "Don't go….."

 _Don't go._

"Never!" Izumi practically cried out, thrusting against him more forcefully. Waves of hot ecstasy vibrated through her spine, making her head hang weakly. "Please….harder….." she pleaded. "Itachi-kun!"

Itachi's features distorted into an feral, desperate growl as his grip tightened on her waist and shoved forward, lifting her with him until her back landed on the grass with him on top of her. Her dress has flipped over her stomach as he hefted her legs around his torso. Izumi cried out as he surged his hips forward and began pounding into her. His stomach began tighten into a hard, twisting knot threatening to snap as he maintained his rapid thrusts, skin slapping skin with wet sounds. He was thoroughly entranced by the glistening sweat of her skin, which began to dampen her flowing chestnut hair. Her eyes closed and her chin tilted with her mouth parted wide as she panted harshly, her cheeks flushed with heat, muscles shifting up and down sensually with each thrust, Itachi was completely entranced by how godly she looked beneath him. His hands slid across her warmth of her wrists until their fingers lapsed together and gripped.

They tightened together when Itachi ground his hips deeper into her, making them both groan loudly. When her eyes opened, they shined with a haze of love and pleasure.

When she gasped out his name in a whimper, the luring sound of her voice drove him over the edge. His thrusts began quickening into smaller, less rhythmic movements, each one driving deeper and deeper in louder squelches, along with their endless breathing. Sweat ran down the side of his face and down his neck, his bangs sticking to his face as a storm of hot euphoria overcame them both.

Izumi moans became cries as she reveled his movements inside of her, hitting the spot each passing second until her stomach began tightening. She was close.

"Ita-Ita-chi! AHHH!" she cried.

Itachi was lost in her cries. He could barely hear himself whisper her name when his fill began to tighten, her grip pulsing around him, to the point where he began to stiffen and feel is release coming.

Then he stiffened and let out a soft cry when he let out a mind-blowing release, spilling his seed in her. All of his senses seemed to shoot toward the sky, filling him with high, weightless bliss. Izumi had also let out her release, crying breathlessly with his, lost in her own heaven as they released together, still connected in body and soul.

Finally they relaxed with a heavy sigh, Izumi's head falling back while Itachi's hung over her, propped on his elbows while his hair curled over her heaving breasts. He briefly rested his ear against her chest, listening to the pounding of her heart, while Izumi lifted her hand to sweep over his long hair, staring up into the sky with a smile of content on her face. She hummed peacefully, vibrating through Itachi's ear.

 _Izumi._ He closed his eyes, still lost in the sound and touch of her, still buried within her pulsing warmth that filled his entire being with peace….

It was where he never wished to part from. He felt whole. He felt free. He felt happy. She really was an angel.

"Itachi-kun…."

Drawn by her voice, he titled his head upward up to meet her eyes, bangs curling over his face. Izumi giggled at the muss led sigh of him, her cheeks blushing. Heart thumping, Itachi breathlessly met her smile and leaned over to taste her mouth. He felt her hand grip his ponytail and tug harshly, but wonderfully, making him gasp in her mouth. His cock began to harden again with her, reconnecting their intimacy. Izumi gasped when he began to shift above her and press against a sensitive spot like a little nudge, enough to send a spark through them both.

She had no idea how much hearing her say that was like music to his ears, cloaking his heart with her soulful bond. How much of his control would drop when she was around him, especially over the years.

"Will you always love me, Izumi?" he breathed against her lips as he moved.

"Always," Izumi smiled up at him and cupped his cheek.

Itachi leaned into her touch, his heart fluttering. He traced his thumb over her cheek, just over her mole, looking into her beautiful brown eyes. Those eyes that always calmed him, always melted his heart, always made him feel at home. Those eyes that held unconditional adoration for him.

"You promise," he whispered, "no matter what I do?"

Izumi brushed hair out of his face. "You will always be in my heart, Itachi-kun," she whispered, tracing his beautiful face as he gazed down at her. "For better or for worse, I love you, and I will always be with you."

His throat throbbed. A shuddering breath escaped him as he leaned down and kissed her fiercely, tasting her sweetness that tingled with her breathless _hums,_ his fingers digging through her hair as he pulled her head close. When their lips slowly drew apart, Itachi's fingers trailed the features of Izumi's face, memorizing the feeling for every detail.

A tear escaped his eyes and ran down his cheek.

Watching his closely, Izumi's eyes glistened sadly when she cupped his cheek with a tiny, comforting smile. "It's okay," she murmured. "Don't be sad. It's okay….I'm here…..What's wrong?"

When Itachi shut his eyes, another tear escaped as he reached up to cup her hand to his cheek. When slowly reopening them, he saw Izumi looking at him with love and compassion. If she were gone from his life….

 _If she were gone…._

"I don't want to leave," he murmured brokenly.

Izumi nodded slowly, understanding. Her eyes were filling with tears, too. "It won't be forever, you know," she whispered, sliding her hand down to his chest, resting over his beating heart. "Just remember that I'm always here for you."

 _Will you, though?_

Itachi nodded anyway at her words and rested against her body, closing his eyes and relaxing as he felt her soft hands brush over his hair and down his back in calming motions. He listened to her heart calming in a soft rhythm against his ear, each beat feeling like it were his own.

He had to believe it. He had to believe her words were true. Her love for him was all that kept him going now, kept him strong and determined, whether she was there with him or not. It always did. To not have her love would break his will to breathe as a human being.

 _"I love you, Izumi,"_ he whispered quietly.

 _I did then, and I do now. I am yours, and you are mine. I will love you forever._

The world faded in darkness as he drifted off, hearing Izumi's soothing hums pierce his soul, caressing away the growing the pain that slowly suffocated his body.

 _Forever._

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 **Hey everyone! After working on "Forever My Heart," I decided to do a series of one-shots on Itachi and Izumi. I just can't get enough of those two, and based on all the reviews from FMH, neither can a lot of Naruto fans. For those of you who are reading "Forever My Heart," thank you so much for all your reviews, follows, and favorites! I might even do an AU sequel on the story once I reach the end, plus bonus one-shots.**

 **You could not believe how excited I was to finally meet Itachi's mysterious "girlfriend" and find out how sweet and cute she actually was. I was devastated when she died, whether by Itachi or Obito's hand, because she out of all the Uchiha besides Sasuke did not deserve it. I just can't….:( I really wished she lived long enough to become a great, memorable Naruto character. I really believe she could have been, if given the chance. Grieving for both her and Itachi is the reason why "Forever My Heart" was conceived.**

 **I would also like some suggestions and ideas of different one-shots for Itachi and Izumi. Any ideas at all. I have a large list of them, but I would like to hear yours first in order to choose.**

 **Thank you!**


	2. Groceries

**Summary:** On a very hot day, thirteen year-old Izumi has trouble carrying groceries. Luckily Itachi was there to help. Pre-massacre

 **Rated:** K

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 **Groceries**

 _Let's see….eggs, rice, flour, sugar, milk, bread, tea packets, biscuits, meat, salad, vegetable, fruits, noodles, fish, tomato soup, ice cream, water…..oh, yeah, and food coloring for the dumplings…._

Yep, that was everything. Should be enough to last a month before her mother's next pay grade. Even better if Izumi received a time worthy mission that didn't come so cheap. They weren't kidding about the plunge in the economy.

Izumi smiled and thanked the Uchiha lady at the counter before heaving up the three grocery backs, barely holding back a grunt as the surprising weight, before she left the grocery store to walk home.

Daily chores were requirements in life that Izumi was very familiar with. Ever since she was a little girl, while she and her mother had been struggling for their placement in the Uchiha clan after the death of her father, Izumi's adaption to hard work became second nature. The evidence was held in her slim, but muscular arms that didn't just come from sparring.

She had helped construct houses after the Nine-tails attack by transporting the wood at age five, assisted in soup kitchens that same year, accepted small jobs in different homes such gardening and baby-sitting before she turned eight, also carried crates and worked paint jobs in Uruchi and Teyaki Uchiha's bakery part time when still attending the Academy, and now she was a genin placed in a team of her own, accepting missions that by far involved chores of every kind.

Otherwise known as D-ranked missions.

Groceries were nothing. Or they shouldn't be. Izumi knew she had always been small and skinny, but people had always complimented on her fitness and strength. And that had been before she had learned how to control her chakra.

Strength wasn't the issue, though. It was portions that her arms couldn't take, making the bags seem heavier than she could handle. And it was a hot day, so now her palms were quickly become slick with sweat. Huffing in frustration at the three large brown, paper bags began slowly slipping from her grasp, she continuously kept struggling to shift them around so that they remained in place, one or the other blocking her sight in the road as she walked. Whenever she tried to tilted her head, a long strand of her dark hair dropped over her eyes, causing Izumi to flick it away in irritation, nearly dropping the bags in the process. She knew she should have tied it up before picking up the bags.

Izumi tried to ignore the looks from other clan members staring at her as she passed by, some of the rude ones hiding sniggers. Her face turned hot with embarrassment.

She must look ridiculous, being piled with three enormous bags like attempting to perform some circus act. Her shirt also stuck to her skin, damp from the perspiration like her neck, making her brown hair droop lamely. She was just thankful her top was dark and sleeveless. But still….

 _How rude! They couldn't even offer to lend a hand?_

It didn't matter. One more block and she was home. She was a ninja, she thought with a determined puff. She was an early graduate, a skilled fighter, and a Sharingan user. This was a piece of cake….

Unfortunately, appearing out of nowhere, there had been a cat being chased by a dog, who in turn had been chased three little boys. With a yowl from the cat, barking from the dog, and yelling from the children, they all at once barged right into her and kept going.

 _Crap!_ Losing her balance, Izumi felt herself and the grocery bags fly freestyle, her sandaled feet slipping across the muddy ground as she fell backward…..only to feel a strong pair of arms catch her mid fall. In a sweep of wind, the thudding sounds of the bags landing, not crashing, sounded her ears.

Heart pounding in shock, she found herself caught in familiar black eyes looking down at her, framed by black bangs and long tear troughs. Instantly her cheeks flooded with warmth when processing who it was. "Itachi-kun?" she gasped.

"Izumi," he greeted her in return, his face stoic as ever. "You alright?"

She nodded. "Y-Yeah. Thanks." He helped her straighten back up. Nearby them, Itachi's clones were each holding a grocery bag caught in the wind of the situation, while the real Itachi had gone straight for Izumi. "Great reflexes," she complimented breathlessly.

"Hn," Itachi expression softened. "I'm surprised you haven't thought of this before. It would've saved you a lot of trouble."

She sighed. Yep, same old Itachi. Blunt as ever.

"Yeah….Guess it slipped my mind." Izumi smiled sheepishly. It was a very hot and busy day, after all.

Itachi and his clones started to leave with her bags. "Let's go."

"Huh? Where are we going?" she asked, confused.

He looked back at her. "Your house. That's where you were going, right?"

"Oh. Yeah. Right. Okay."

He was wearing his ANBU uniform, gray armor, sheathed katana, and all. The only thing that was missing was his mask, which confused her because she thought ANBU weren't supposed to walk around in public without their masks. Not that she wasn't happy to see his face. She never sees him much anymore.

Izumi then glanced over at the real Itachi by her side, trying to keep her composure around him. "Not that I'm not happy to see you….but what are you doing here?" she asked, feeling awkward. "I thought you were on duty."

"They have no need of my services at the moment," replied Itachi, not looking at her. "I was heading home, but I really have nothing better to do. Sasuke's at the Academy."

"Yeah, I heard he's doing very well. People keep expecting him to become just like you when he graduates."

Itachi glanced at her, curious. "And what do you think?"

Izumi shrugged. "I think Sasuke is going to be a fantastic ninja," she answered honestly, "and that he is strongly influenced by his older brother, but I don't think anyone can be _exactly_ like you. Not even Shisui-nii."

"Hn." Itachi looked away. She didn't see the tiny smile on his face.

When they arrived at her house, the place was vacant. Itachi's clones dissolved at the doorstep after handing them over the bags. Itachi insisted on carrying the bags, but Izumi insisted on taking at least one, refusing to let him do all the work.

Itachi watched in quiet amusement as Izumi strolled inside ahead of him with the bag in her arms, her waist-length hair flowing behind her from each fluent stride.

When they laid the bags out on the kitchen counter, Izumi tried not to think too hard on how close he was with his arm brushing hers. She would never admit this aloud, but despite her concerns with Itachi's role as an ANBU, she had to admit that he looked even more handsome in his uniform. It made him look sharp and badass….well, more so than usual. Swallowing hard, she began pulling out the contents to start organizing, trying to keep her breathing even if not her heart, which never stopped pounding since Itachi caught her in his arms.

Itachi started helping her unload, piling them on one side evenly. "You've purchased quite a lot," he said, while Izumi began loading the fridge. He observed the contents and noted the flour, sweet flour, eggs, sugar, and food coloring.

The recipes for dango. Itachi smiled.

When she returned by his side to collect more, Itachi held the box of food coloring to her, raising an eyebrow. "Planning to bake any time soon?" he asked in a teasing tone.

Izumi stared, before smirking casually. "Maybe," she said, turning back to her groceries. "Could be now, could be later. I haven't decided yet."

Itachi tilted his head with a thoughtful look. "Hm, I wonder what it could be," he remarked aloud.

Smirk growing, Izumi peered over her shoulder at him, batting her eyelashes. "Why don't you figure it out, genius?" she said sweetly, placing a hand on her hip. "You might just get one as your reward."

Itachi's mouth watered at the mere thought, but he only smirked back. "Only one?" he pressed.

"Well, that depends if you'll stick around for more," Izumi pointed out.

Itachi's smirk faded into a soft smile as he gazed at her. "I just might," he murmured.

Izumi's own seduction act wavered with his sincerity, before she turned around to hide her hot face to collect more food for the pantry. He really had no idea how much he influenced her life, how much power he had over her, even without his knowing.

"W-Well, good," she said, walking over to the pantry and placing the food one by one on the shelf. "I might just hold you to it. We each deserve a break, what with all your missions and everything that's happening." Keeping her back to him to hide the mixed emotions that probably crossed her expression, she could feel his eyes on her back.

She knew it was wrong to think like this, but she couldn't help feeling hurt by his absence. She missed him. She missed their times together. It had been simpler when they had taken the Academy together. Even afterward, when they had been re-connecting….only to again be driven apart by separate duties.

Did he even miss her like she missed him? What was he thinking now? Was he just using her as a brief distraction from boredom when he could be out looking for Shisui to train with, or go somewhere else to study in private? That was what he did nowadays, right? She really had no idea, and it pained her more than she could say.

Meanwhile, while the silence stretched between them, Itachi was gazing with hidden sadness at her back while she was putting away the food with expertise, brushing the hair from her face mindlessly when she was nervous. He noticed the brief hurt in her tone that she tried to cover, keeping her face turned away from him.

Throat throbbed painfully, Itachi knew right away what she was thinking and wished more than anything that he could take all her doubts away by telling the truth, but there were so many secrets that she was not meant to hear, most of them tainted with ANBU, that it was impossible.

He wouldn't blame her if she felt mad at him for not seeing her as much anymore, even if it was just as two childhood friends saying hello to each other. He had kept his distance on purpose, not just from her, but from his own family.

With everything that was happening in ANBU, the Uchiha's developing coup de'tat at work, his secret meetings with Shisui, and his double-agency for Konoha….He just couldn't be with her, for her protection.

Not only because he didn't have the time, but because Itachi didn't think he would have the strength to face her every day, filled with lies and treachery. She had always had the ability to see right through him….or at least, find whatever good was left in him that he himself always had trouble acknowledging. She made him want to be a better man. Just catching her carrying the loads of groceries from the rooftops, looking beautiful with all her frustration and determination, gave him a strong sense of longing for the idea of being hers and wanting to spend the rest of his life with her.

But for the sake of the village and his clan, Itachi knew that he couldn't. He wasn't. He was molded into a killer….and now a liar. He was dirty in every way.

Even so, he missed her. He truly did. Being with her was a huge relief from all the burdens he had to carry, even if it was just for a short time. Helping her carrying groceries gave him back that sense of normalcy he always had around her, that sense of calm and easygoing purpose to make her feel happy.

She had no idea how much of a hold she had over him.

"Izumi…."

The girl hesitated, before turning around with a blank expression. She tried not to melt under the open tenderness the Uchiha clan heir gave her, wrapping her heart in a vibration of warmth.

"I just…." After gazing at her for a moment, Itachi gave her a gentle smile. "It's really good to see you," he said softly.

Izumi's eyes widened slightly in surprise….then she smiled back, her brown eyes sparkling with unhidden warmth and love. Maybe that was all she wanted to hear from him. His honesty and reassurance. Whatever distance was placed between them, she was relieved that he still cared.

"It's good to see you, too, Itachi-kun," she replied in a gentle voice.

….

For the rest of the afternoon until evening, they had boiled multiple sticks of tri-colored dango together, covered in flour and food coloring, before hanging out on the porch steps to catch up on lost time between them. Since Itachi couldn't talk about his ANBU missions, Izumi was the one doing most of the talking excitedly about hers and her team's, and he listened to her every word while eating his dango, savoring the sound of her voice.

A blissful Izumi would never know how much happier Itachi had felt in a very long time, before tomorrow would come.

* * *

 **Well, here's another random one-shot I literally just wrote in two hours past midnight. I personally think a guy that you like doing something simple as helping you carry groceries is romantic. This is pre-massacre, and Itachi and Izumi were both thirteen around this time, and Shisui was still alive.**

 **This is mostly a re-connection version between Itachi and Izumi, since it was obvious that the two never see each other as often as they did before Itachi joined ANBU.**

 **Thanks for reading!:)**


	3. Baby-sitting

**Summary:** Sasuke just won't stop crying. Izumi is at her wit's end….but in the end, it's worth it.

 **Rated: K**

* * *

 **Baby-sitting**

"WAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"You're not holding him right."

"What?"

"... .AAAAAHHHHH ..."

"You're not holding him right," repeated Itachi, watching with a blank but focused look at his friend Izumi cradled and rocked his crying baby brother at the kitchen table. He was in the process of putting the bottle of formula in the boiling pot to heat up. "That's why he keeps crying."

"Itachi-kun, HOW am I not holding him right?" cried Izumi in exasperation. She tilted her elbow in his view. "Look, I'm using both arms and he's trying to escape. OW!" She yelped with Sasuke snatched and pulled one of her bangs, still wailing.

The two six year-olds were in the kitchen of the Uchiha mansion. Itachi was heating up a bottle of milk for Sasuke, while Izumi was sitting cross-legged on one of the pillow seat near the kitchen table, cradling a crying baby Sasuke. Her purple shirt was ruffled, her ponytail was a mess, and her cheeks had chubby landmarks and saliva contributed by Itachi's object of affection.

But she was determined to see through to the end. She won't let Itachi take him back until Sasuke tires out in her arms. She was determined….or had been an hour ago, when her patience started dwindling.

Itachi's mother had assigned them both to baby-sit Sasuke while she went out with her friends. Since Izumi and her mother were struggling to earn money for a new home since the Nine-tails attack, this was a perfect time for Izumi to take this as a small job and earn some cash. Itachi was more than willing to offer his new friend the help she needs.

Itachi shuffled awkwardly, watching her struggle with his brother. He was fighting the urge to just come over and just take over, knowing he was usually the one who kept Sasuke from crying while Izumi already knew how to heat a bottle, or open a jar of baby food. But if he did that, he would be breaking off all the endurance and effort Izumi was struggling with in the past hour and it would all be for nothing. It was a really painful situation, watching two people he cared about suffer without his help. "Are you cradling his head properly?" he asked lamely.

"YES! See?" Izumi desperately kept rocking her new friend's infant baby brother, who had been wailing nonstop and even kept attempt to shove at her face with his two, tiny hands. Izumi herself looked on the verge of crying herself, her wide brown eyes misting with distress. "Itachi-kun, it's not working!" she wailed. "He just doesn't like me! He'll never like me! What have I done wrong? What can I _not_ do wrong?"

"I told you, it's not your fault," said Itachi, more gently, really feeling bad for his female friend now, who had been holding his baby brother for more than an hour now. It wasn't his fault; she insisted. "Sasuke cries when most people hold him, even Mother and Father. He just needs to get used to you."

"When? I came here three times already, and this is longest I've ever held him, _and he still hates me!_ I feel like the worst person in the world!" whimpered Izumi, now sniffling herself as she pulled Sasuke against her and patted his back. "I heard that babies cry because they sense something bad about you and it scares them. What if I have something bad that Sasuke doesn't like?"

"I'm sure its because he's hungry…." _The milk is almost ready._

"And I'm sure its because he doesn't like me, and I don't know why! He doesn't cry when you hold him. In fact, he's happy when you hold him! You're his brother. Hey, _why_ are you smiling? This isn't funny!" she snapped, when catching a small smirk on Itachi's lips.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he said, smiling at her more gently. "I just appreciate you coming by and helping me, that's all."

Izumi's anger faded in an instant. After sniffling, she smiled back at him. "Of course, Itachi-kun," she said. "I'm sorry I got mad. I'm just new at this, that's all."

"I know."

"What if every baby I hold cries like Sasuke-chan?"

"Sasuke is different. I'm positive that if it were any other baby, they would definitely like you."

Izumi paused and stared up at him. "Really?"

"Ah." He nodded encouragingly. Izumi let out a bubbly giggle, blushing and feeling more confident now.

At that same moment, Sasuke stopped crying….then let out a burp of white puke all over Izumi's cloths. Both kids froze with gaping expressions, while Sasuke yawned and finally fell silent.

Izumi's was trembling with barely contained calm, while Itachi sweat dropped uneasily. "Eh….see?" he stuttered. "He's getting used to you already." He snapped his mouth shut when she shot him a black glare.

"Does….your brother…puke on others, too?" Izumi said slowly, between clenched teeth.

Itachi shuffled, ducking his head. "N-No….you're the first," he mumbled.

His unease only grew when a vein popped over Izumi's head, her eye twitching and cheek puffing out, which he found both scary and cute. Which was ridiculous because he faced scarier things in his life….but Izumi was something else.

The water was boiling. Milk was ready.

….

Itachi smiled as cradled Sauske's head while Izumi was feeding him the bottle. Sasuke looked content as he continued gulping down the white formula. Izumi looked a mess, having rings under her doe eyes and her her hair is disarray, her purple shirt stained with the baby's barf, but she was smiling in relief and tenderness when watching Sasuke feed.

Even though she smelled like baby barf and tears, and looked worse than when surviving a village attack, Itachi found her messed-up but glowing appearance while holding his baby brother to be strangely appealing….and adorable, despite everything. Most little girls her age probably would have given up and shoved Sasuke back into his arms to escape the torment, but the brunette pulled through and found the worth in all the baby care, even though she didn't have to.

She would never know how much Itachi began to admire her for it, and hoped even more that one day Sasuke will grow comfortable around her like he was.

Sitting side by side on the living room comfort chair, large enough to fit their two small bodies, neither child wanted to disturb the peace in the air. Like the lack of Sasuke's crying caused a roaring silence throughout the house, which was like a breath of fresh air that may not last.

"We did it," Izumi whispered, just as the baby finished and let out a tiny yawn, before falling straight to sleep. In her thoughts, she had forgotten about being embarrassed with her appearance in front of the boy she crushed on and instead began daydreaming of possibly becoming a mother of _his_ children when she grew up. That, and Sasuke looked adorable when he wasn't screaming his head off.

This was probably the first time Izumi completely understood how Itachi felt. If Itachi loved his baby brother this much, then she would too, like a big sister, and that made the all seemingly-impossible task of baby-sitting worth it.

" _You_ did it," corrected Itachi, just as softly, before reaching up to poke her brow. She blinked in confusion as his strange gesture, but blushed and smiled nonetheless at his praise and let out a heavy yawn herself.

This was the first time she had gotten Sasuke to stop crying when holding him, and that was considered a great accomplishment. For both of them.

Itachi looked down at the mess on her shirt and inwardly winced. He should probably get that washed for her and give her one of his. He never considered her wearing black before, even though she was also an Uchiha, but….

"I can get you one of my shirts if you want…." he began, but Izumi's eyes dropped closed as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Maybe later…." she mumbled with a content sigh and relaxed against him.

When her breathing evened, Itachi was still staring at both her and his brother, both asleep and looking completely at peace, contrary to when they were both awake and having a breakdown around each other. One hair strand was flopped over her closed eyes, so he reached up and tucked it behind her ear, tracing her tiny mole with his thumb curiously when he did.

Smiling to himself, Itachi relaxed his head on top of hers and let his eyes droop, letting her calm breathing lull him to sleep. It would be nice to savor this moment while it lasted….

A loud, disgusting fart erupted the silence. Itachi and Izumi's eyes popped open.

Faces paled when the smell started, coming from their laps.

 _That didn't last long._

* * *

 **I love imagining Itachi and Izumi babysitting Sasuke together. I thought it was hilarious that Sasuke freaks out when Izumi holds him as a baby, seeing Izumi as a threat for stealing his niisan, no matter how nice she is. I mean, what younger sibling isn't like that, right? Sasuke is most definitely no different, even when he matures. Lol**

 **This can a part one of many Itachi/Izumi baby-sitting drabbles to come:) I can't wait!**


	4. MY Niisan!

**Summary:** Itachi was supposed to spend time with Sasuke today….except it was also the same day he meets with Izumi.

 **Rated: K**

* * *

 **MY Nii-san!**

Sasuke was miffed by the change in plans for Itachi spending time with him. Like his big brother promised, he was taking a day off from training for the chunin exams and kept his promise to spend the day with the younger Uchiha. He was supposed to be looking after Sasuke today, anyway.

Except….it was also the same day Itachi went to meet up with Izumi at the lake. It was even worse that the older Uchiha was reluctant with the idea of turning her down. So in the end, he decided that it was a good idea that he could spend the day with both his brother and his childhood friend at the same time.

"But why?" complained Sasuke, still outraged that his brother would make a last-minute decision without hearing _his_ opinion about it. "What about shuriken training? You promised just the two of us!"

"I did, but not today, Sasuke," said Itachi, trying to convince Sasuke with a smile. "It'll be just like with Shisui."

"Hmph!" Sasuke frowned, and Itachi sweated. The younger raven didn't like when Shisui interfered either, because he always managed to steal away his nii-san half the time, which was _long_ periods of time. If _that_ was bad, this would be worse, because now it was going to be some annoying girl who would squeal and faint and grapple at his big brother like some-

"I haven't seen her in a while," Itachi sheepishly told him, interrupting the little Uchiha's spiteful thoughts. "The three of us can still train, Sasuke. Izumi might graduate early, and this will be the only time I can help improve some of her ninjutsu techniques."

"Hmmm….Okay…."

Itachi had him at the word 'ninjutsu.' The three year-old wanted to see them for himself. He doubted this Izumi-girl's ninjutsu, or any jutsu, would rival his older brother's. He even hoped they would be pathetic, so that he and his brother could ditch this so-called girl and he can have his nii-san to himself for the day.

My _niisan!_

 _…._

They found Izumi waiting for them at the edge of the pierce, her brown hair blowing in the wind as she waved cheerfully at them. "Itachi-kun! Hey, Sasuke-chan!" In her hand was a white paper labeled 'Dumplings.' "I brought dango for lunch. I hope that's okay."

Itachi's face brightened at the word 'dango,' while Sasuke scrunched his face in distaste. As much as he worshipped his big brother, he really hated sweets.

One hour later, sitting with his legs dangling over the water, Sasuke had to admit that he was both jealous and impressed with massive improvement of Izumi's Firestyle: Fire ball jutsu as Itachi coached her breathing. The way Izumi would rapidly perform her hand signs with nearly the ease his big brother had (Sasuke was beginning to wonder if she was 'special,' too), her chest would puff out and out came a mountainous bush of flames, causing waves and steam across the water. Her hair and Itachi's would sweep away from the heated winds, and Sasuke could feel the heat blast across his face.

"Well done, Izumi!" exclaimed Itachi, looking toward the lake with a nod. "That was a huge improvement."

Izumi glanced at him and smiled while catching her breath. "You really think so?" she asked.

To Sasuke's surprise, Itachi returned her smile, his eyes soft as he looked at her. "You're ready," he said. He put a hand on her shoulder. "We can test your water bomb jutsu after we eat. That's your other element, right?" Izumi glowed with pink cheeks and nodded.

 _Water bomb jutsu? She can do that, too?_ Sasuke's cheeks puffed with envy. They were even standing side by side, so close that they were almost touching as though in sync. It annoyed Sasuke, because Itachi didn't seem to mind her being so near. What was with that?

Soon, they were sitting at the edge of the pier and opened the dango bag. Sasuke was sitting in Itachi's lap, hugging his big brother arms possessively to his stomach. Itachi chuckled at Sasuke's behavior and gave him a squeeze.

Izumi was digging through the bag and selected a tricolored dango.

"Here you go, Itachi-kun," she said cheerfully, holding out a dango for him. Itachi's face lit up when the dango hovered near his face and was about to reach out to take it….

Sasuke watched with an unimpressed look….then slapped a small hand over the dango she offered, having it land harshly into the water.

Izumi was frozen in place, looking shocked and hurt, while Itachi sat there frozen, looking horrified.

 _Sasuke!_

Sasuke looked away rudely. "Hn." Stupid pretty girl! Wait, did he just call her 'pretty?' She was ugly! UG-L-Y! He was tempted to smirk at his own petty thought. No way was she stealing his Nii-san from him now!

Jaw trembling slightly, Izumi was still looking pretty hurt, her confidence shaken by Sasuke's rude action, feeling lost with what to do in front of the boy she liked without looking stupid….then there was a ruffle of paper and a dango hovered in her view.

Both she and Sasuke looked up in surprise to find Itachi giving her a shy smile, offering the dango to her.

"What Sasuke really meant was," he said, cheeks revealing a hint of pink, "ladies first?"

Izumi gaped at him for a moment….then her expression slowly lit up into a shy smile as she accepted the dango, thanking him.

Meanwhile Sasuke was still gaping at them both, and the fact that his big brother actually used those words 'ladies first,' as if they were a foreign language.

….

"He'll warm up to you," Itachi told Izumi a few hours later as they walked side by side on their way home, as Sasuke fell asleep in his arms. The sun had already set. "He has before."

"Sure," muttered Izumi, looking unconvinced. Except Sasuke didn't remember her from when he was a baby. It felt like their 'warming up' went straight back to square one.

Itachi looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry about his behavior," he said, resisting the urge to hide under his bangs. "He's not usually like that."

"Don't worry about it. Believe me, I understand." She didn't expect Sasuke to be any less possessive of his big brother. He has been since he was a baby, at least around her. She remembered all too well, from all the times she helped babysit him. He hadn't made it easy, that was for sure.

Izumi smiled at him, her dark eyes sparkling with a hint of light red. "I had a great time today," she said. "With both of you."

Itachi looked at her and brightened at her enthusiasm. "Yeah, me too." After a pause, he also added, "And maybe next time, bring tomatoes. They're his favorite."

Izumi laughed. Yep, she remembered Sasuke's obsession with tomatoes, like she knew of Itachi's obsession with dango. "Alright!"

Itachi's heart pounded. When she smiled at him like that, she looked so beautiful under the color highlights of the sky, lighting her brown hair a more cedar brown like her eyes. If his hands weren't full of Sasuke, the thought of holding her hand right now didn't seem so bad. He can imagine they were warm.

What was happening to him?

* * *

 **OKAY! I actually wrote this a while ago when I wrote the last one-shot.**

 **This story was inspired by this ItaIzu drawing I found of Itachi, Izumi, and Sasuke sitting together on the pier, Izumi offering Itachi a dango, but Sasuke slaps it out of her hand. It's both funny and slightly heartbreaking. Sasuke really has it out for poor Izumi.**

 **I'm in the process of writing the next chapter for "Forever My Heart," but since its nearing the end of the semester, I'm barely having any time to write with loads of school work, sleep deprivation, and a brain fuse. Whenever I do have time, I'm not satisfied with what's there and end up having to strip the chapter down and rewrite until it matches the mood of the story. I will NOT pull a Mark Twain!**

 **I'll at least have it down before Thanksgiving break.**

 **Thanks for reading! The reviews are very much appreciated and helpful!:)**


	5. First Meetings

**Summary** : First meetings are not always how you expect them to be.

 **Rating:** K+

* * *

 **First Meetings**

Izumi Uchiha had fallen for Itachi Uchiha from the moment she first laid eyes on him. She was four years old.

Long before they went to the Ninja Academy together, she had seen him from a distance, but never approached him. She was always too shy and struck speechless to find any words to say, even to herself. Looking just about her age and height, his metallic black hair with uneven ends near the length of his shoulders, his pale skin kissed slightly with color from the sun, and his eyes black and dreamy, though very sharp and observant, like every other girl she was infatuated with him. She thought he looked like a dark-haired prince.

In a way, he _was_ a prince. The sole and future heir of the noble Uchiha Clan.

But unlike every other girl, she did not immediately rush to get his attention, or squeal loudly every time he passed by looking all cool and stoic. No, instead she stayed in the background, watching him with wide, wondrous brown eyes. He was always looking the other way, ever so silent as his posture. The wind would often sweep his hair whenever he was outside, brushing over his unmoving face, which remained unreadable and silently contemplative.

Such a look both attracted her and frightened her. Izumi did not know him, but she wanted to. How could she approach someone who seemed so perfect without spoiling the moment with her presence? Especially when she herself was far from perfect: half-blooded, awkward, shy, rambling, twitchy when nervous, loud when worked up...

She did not even live in the clan with him.

Izumi was born and raised outside of the Uchiha compound, not familiar with the ways of her kin except through her mother, who was a full-blooded Uchiha. Her father was not an Uchiha, blond hair and a sunny attitude, but he was an elite jounin with awesome skills of his own and a quick-temper that rose solely from protective instincts.

Instead, the four year-old little girl would just watch from behind a tree. Behind a fence. Behind a building. Just to watch him walk away as he passed by, never knowing she existed.

Except for this one time...

The raven-haired boy paused and glanced in her direction. His shiny, black eyes met her brown. Completely unreadable, indifferent, but aware that he was being watched. By her.

He was looking at _her!_

Izumi was frozen on the spot. Her entire face blazed hot red, hands clenched in front of her chests and eyes wide with fright. She couldn't breathe. Her mind was entirely blank.

"H-H-H..." She couldn't even get the word 'Hi' out.

A few, long seconds had passed, before Itachi looked away and continued walking along. As though nothing had happened.

Izumi watched him go, still stuck in place from shock, and then sad that he had to go so soon without saying a word her. Not even so much as a blink, like she was invisible. She slumped in self-disappointment. She had wasted her chance.

 _Why did I think he would talk to me?_ Izumi thought miserably. _I'm weak. I'm nobody!_

 _But...he_ looked _at me._

This thought gave her hope. She straightened up, clenching her tiny fists with new resolve.

 _Next time I see him, I won't be scared! If he won't talk to me first, then_ I _will!_

Except there wasn't a next time. Not for many, many months. It would be the last time she would see Itachi before he would disappear for a long time. She was sad and worried when she couldn't find him, having no idea where he went. Nobody would tell her either, not even her parents. She would pray for him every night, wishing him well and happy and that she would see him again.

He was constantly on her mind ever since, but Izumi continued with her happy childhood in spite of it, confident that wherever he was, he would come back.

And he did, many months later.

.

.

.

Itachi Uchiha did not really remember the first time he took real notice of Izumi Uchiha, but he remembered the first time she approached him and said hello.

It had been the end of the first _(very boring)_ day at the Academy. He had been on his way out of the Academy's campus to search for Shisui, dying to continue some _real_ training.

"Hello," she said.

Itachi only stared at her, not saying "hello" back. Instead, he was sizing her up. Small and petite, her dark brown (almost black) hair was pulled into a ponytail, long strands framing her pale face. Her onyx-brown eyes were large and warm like a doe's. A tiny mole rested just beneath her right eye. And she wore purple. A lot of purple.

The little girl blushed and shifted awkwardly, struggling not to look down at her feet. "Um...You're Itachi, right? Itachi Uchiha?"

"I am." _Does she need something?_

"I'm from the Uchiha clan, too," the dark-haired girl blurted out.

There was awkward silence. "...I see." _She doesn't seem like one. Have I seen her from somewhere?_

The girl's smile grew, her back straightening with forced confidence. She was probably the type who worried about first impressions. "My name is Izumi Uchiha," she said, more cheerfully. "This is my first year here, too! My class is next door to yours."

"And?" Itachi wondered how long this was going to take. He didn't have time to talk to little girls _(He didn't talk to any girls, period, his mother barely an exception)_. He had to get to training. There wasn't anything to look forward to worth learning in the Academy and Shisui promised he would be there to teach him.

The girl named Izumi wavered under his indifferent _(and rude)_ reply and shrunk back a little, face reddening. Her smile became a little forced now. "Oh, w-well...O-Our home is the same direction, r-right?"

 _Obviously._ If Itachi was anyone else, he would have rolled his eyes. But he wasn't. "There is only _one_ Uchiha compound," was his answer. "There _is_ no other."

 _I don't have time for this. I'm going to be late._

Izumi's face was bright red now. "R-Right! I knew that!" she spluttered, eyes dropping to her feet now. She swallowed, took a deep breath, and snapped her head back up to face him. "S-So, do-do you-" But Itachi was already turning around, no longer listening to her.

"Forgive me, I'm in a hurry," was all he said before he ran off, not looking back to see Izumi's disheartened expression, since the only thing on his mind was learning new jutsu techniques.

It wasn't until later that night, laying in his bed, that his thought momentarily went back to the girl with the long dark hair and doe brown eyes, thinking that maybe he _had_ seen her before.

Izumi was a nice name, he decided. Simple _and_ pretty. Like a fountain spring. A vision of serene beauty and peace.

.

.

.

Izumi never felt so embarrassed and humiliated with herself. Itachi probably thought she was stupid, awkward, and pathetic, not worth his time at all. It _had_ to be what he was thinking. Even his stoic body language said she wasn't worth his time. She was absolutely nothing to him. It was heart crushing.

Well, then again, it was not like he knew a thing about her. And come to think of it, she didn't really know much about him either. But she wanted to. She _really_ wanted to. All she wanted was for him to acknowledge her as someone worth his time, as a fellow Uchiha member and hopefully as a friend. And finally, the one time when she worked up the courage to walk up and say hello, introducing herself properly like she was raised to speak and was about to ask if he wanted to walk back to the compound together ( _a place she had just moved in, as she was still trying to adjust to the Uchiha clan),_ Itachi was still dismissive towards her. Not even so much as a simple, friendly "hello."

Izumi didn't bother approaching him after that, feeling too ashamed and unworthy to try again. Over time in the Academy, she only heard kids speak of Itachi's growing reputation of outsmarting all the older kids and even most of the teachers. Some had hate, while others had love ( _fangirls….and some fanboys, too_ ).

Then there were the bullies.

Very soon within a few months of school, she had been walking by herself to her classroom at the end of lunch through the hallway when up ahead, she was surprised to see Itachi surrounded by older boys with hostile expressions on their faces.

Now Izumi was considered a kind and _(mostly)_ harmless girl whom, to many people, held very few grudges, but there were three specific things that she just couldn't stand: death, hatred, and _bullies._ Cheesy and typically common, but very true.

And when she _did_ get physically aggressive (which was rare), she prided herself in having a very good aim, and a _very_ mean kick.

So when she heard those boys shooting insults and threats toward her crush for being an Uchiha, who remained composed and _(seemingly)_ indifferent as ever, Izumi fumed and didn't hesitate to march up to them and give them a piece of her mind, defending her clan's honor in the process. Then this one boy tried to force her to retire, hinting that all girls should have no business being shinobi, that's when Izumi really started to get angry and defensive. She hadn't realized her Sharingan had activated in the process, as she had little control over it, but it sent the older boys running like scaredy cats.

Before she fainted, she remembered Itachi staring at her in wide-eyed awe.

When she woke up, Izumi was surprised to find herself in the infirmary and even more surprised to see her crush sitting right next to her, watching over her instead of attending class. He asked if she was okay. Feeling touched that he asked, she nodded.

Still, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed for fainting in front of him for a few seconds of activating her eyes. It was hardly something someone, let alone a genius like Itachi, would be impressed with. Especially if it were on a battlefield.

 _Why is there always something wrong with me?_

 _._

 _._

 _._

"I'm so sorry for that," Izumi said quietly, not meeting his eyes in shame. "I shouldn't have interrupted."

"What do you mean?" asked Itachi, confused. Was was wrong with sticking up for him against bullies when nobody else did?

"I-It's just..." Her brown eyes looked especially big and bright. Somehow, it reminded him strongly of his baby brother, Sasuke, giving his chest a sharp wrench. "You're Itachi Uchiha, and I'm just a nuisance."

Blinking, Itachi shook his head. "If it weren't for you," he told her, "they wouldn't have left me alone. It would have gotten worse if you hadn't stepped in."

An unnecessary fight was avoided, as well. What really intrigued Itachi was that this girl had tried to keep the peace rather than jumping straight to the punches and kicks ( _not that she looked like the type who would try to pick a fight, anyway_ ). But it was her Sharingan that really startled Itachi. She should be way too young to have it awakened, and yet she had it.

"I didn't mean to," protested Izumi, twitching her hands over her chest nervously. "I just got really mad, and then my eyes just activated on their own. It happens a lot, so I usually try not to get mad….because then I pass out."

"How did you awaken them?" asked Itachi. He wondered if there was some kind of secret that Izumi could share with him. He would have not minded having his own Sharingan soon enough.

Izumi bit her lip and looked away, her eyes growing distant as she started recalling horrible memories. "My father died during the Nine-tails attack. He wasn't an Uchiha, like Mama, but he was a good ninja. After he died and our home was gone, Mama and I had to move in with our clan."

"Your father's death awakened your Sharingan." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Still, Itachi instantly regretted the tone he used when watching Izumi's lip tremble as her eyes filled with tears. It was times like these that Itachi was fully aware of his social awkwardness with people, lacking a sort of empathy toward their emotions. He understood tools better than he understood people _(which was worrisome, sometimes)._

Izumi nodded. "Yes," she whispered. "I was with him. We were trying to evacuate and...h-he was killed right in front of me. It happened so fast. He shielded me from the big fox demon's attack and the buildings exploded around us...I was hurt, and Papa was on top of me, but he was already..." Izumi's eyes filled with heavy tears now and bowed her head to hide them behind her bangs. "It was my f-fault."

"Why?" It didn't make any sense to him. Many people have died in the attack. Powerful people. How was a natural disaster, a broken building falling over them, her fault?

"I-If I was stronger, he wouldn't have died. I…I blamed myself ever since, and...the moment I realized he wasn't going to wake up, I suddenly felt a great pain in my eyes, so great that I fainted. When I woke up, I was already rescued and Mama was there. She told me that I awakened my Sharingan, and that I'm too young to handle its power. And during the funeral, I promised myself I would get stronger and follow my father's footsteps, so his death wouldn't be in vain."

"I….understand." Though he wanted to tell her that her father's death couldn't possibly be her fault, that it couldn't have been helped, Itachi was already regretful to make her recall painful memories without thinking of her feelings first.

He bowed his head in shame and asked her to forgive him for making her recall painful memories. Izumi only chuckled nervously and waved it off, telling him not to worry about it.

Despite the sadness in her eyes, there were also lit with a cheerfulness that pushed away the bad thoughts for the sake of whom she was talking to, like a bright sun rising to push away the dark night. She had strength in her. The kind of strength Itachi himself at times wished he had. And for the first time, he found a deep respect for this tiny, bright-eyed Uchiha girl whom only yesterday was just a stranger to him. In a way, it was suddenly like he was looking at Sasuke, or Shisui.

He was ready to lower his walls a little and make some room for her to get to know. He hoped she would give him another chance, given that their last introduction was...one-sided. She seemed like the humble and forgiving type. There were not many Uchiha who had that trait, he thought, not even the children.

Itachi extended his hand toward her. Smile dropping in surprise, Izumi stared at his hand in silence, and then up at him. Hope then began to blossom in her warm, brown gaze, followed by a pink blush on her cheeks. She then shifted a white, delicate hand and took his. Fingers curled around the other easily, tingling at the palm.

"Thank you, Izumi," Itachi whispered, sincerely, while silently adding, _Would you please give me a second chance?_

Izumi seemed to spot the plead in Itachi's eyes, because realization dawned her and the little girl managed a small, shy smile. Drawn by that warm look, Itachi smiled back.

After a few moments of silence, Itachi was the first to speak, shyly lowering his eyes, "Would you….Would you mind if I made sure you got home safely?" Heat tinted his cheeks. This was so strange for him, so different, but he knew in his heart it was the right thing to do. Not for the sake of politeness or gratitude, but because he wanted to.

He had a very good feeling about this girl, and he wasn't go to carelessly dismiss this chance like the last time.

Izumi was stunned for a moment. Then a happy smile lit her expression and she shook her head. "Not at all."

.

.

.

Looking back on that awkward first introduction with her, Itachi wished he could have made it different. Izumi told him herself, many years later:

 _First meetings are not always what we expect them to be._

But he wouldn't have changed the second time for the whole world.

 _Thank you, Izumi._

* * *

 **This was based off of the Shinden version.** **I made this to give some insight on Izumi's point of view on her desire for Itachi to notice her. Personally, it annoyed me how Itachi just didn't give her any consideration the first time, but then it also reminded me of Sasuke and Sakura.**

 **Still, I always loved the second meeting with the bullies. I thought it played an important trait in Izumi's character and how Itachi felt toward her for it.**

 **More will come. In various, not-so-related forms!**

 **Happy New Year!**

 **P.S. Thank you for the spectacular reviews in FMH! I don't own Naruto.**


	6. You Are Mine and Mine Alone

**Summary:** Itachi believed he never had time for relationships, until he sees Izumi with a boy and gets extremely jealous.

 **Rated:** T

* * *

 **You Are Mine and Mine Alone**

Itachi was _not_ in a good mood.

And that was putting it lightly.

Having recently returned from guard duty, instead of leaving on dismissal after handing in the Hokage's signed papers, he had gone straight of the ANBU training center….and not an hour later, he walked out with an ever blank facade, though the tense aura around him had not faded.

Behind him was a huge room full of tangled and destroyed machinery used for advanced stealth exercises, leaving nothing left for the other members to train. Worthless, cheap junk. He had practiced in there since he was ten and the equipment was still no match for him.

Not even any ANBU member, except for Shisui, was any match for him. Not even Kakashi. He should probably put them all together against and see if they stood a chance. The assassination mission hadn't been enough; he still felt the killing intent fresh under his skin.

Realizing his own dark thoughts, he stopped and glared at the ground, clenching his fists at his side. His eyes were glazed with bitterness and loathing, so much that he was disturbed with himself.

The only one he wanted to inflict all injury on was _that guy_ who was seeing her. The guy who dared even get that close to her that they could touch. The guy who dared to steal a kiss from her right before Itachi's eyes! That kiss that wasn't _his_ for the taking!

Itachi never liked killing. Though one of Konoha's deadliest weapons, he never particularly liked causing harm to others….but he never thought the day would come that he would want to murder someone within his own village of his own free will as badly as he did now.

 _(Earlier)_

 _It had been an uneventful day. Now becoming an uneventful night._

 _Before he would leave, Itachi had come by the surveillance room to exchange some unimportant reports from the ANBU watchers, who seated at their posts in front of the spy glasses. When he was about to leave with the files, a familiar movement on one of the many video screens caught his eye, making him pause._

 _It was a screen shot down the streets in the main district, not too far from the Hokage building, near a tea shop. Fair skin and brunette hair bounded along giddily, her eyes twinkling even from the high angled distance. Izumi. His eyes softened when he immediately recognized his childhood sweetheart._

 _Itachi stepped up to the control monitors and pressed a button to zoom the screen closer so he could see her face more clearly._

 _Izumi was leaning casually against a wall with her hands propped behind her, looking gracefully seductive in that position. She was also wearing a knee-length, magenta-violet, sleeveless dress with decorated with red summer flowers, her long hair flowing loose over her shoulders with a red burette pinning back one side of her strands. She even wore a little mascara and lip gloss._

 _Though muted from the audio, Izumi was continuously speaking to someone with that genuine ever-cheerful expression of hers. Itachi couldn't help a tiny smile of content at the sight of her._

 _She really has grown a lot, but she hasn't changed. He was glad of that._

 _Suddenly, something he saw the guy she was talking appear on screen. He had walked up closer to Izumi as he appeared to be replying to her. But since the camera was zoomed up close on only her, the guy looked too close. Itachi's eyes narrowed, wishing he was able to hear what they were saying. He couldn't see the male's face, so he focused on Izumi's._

 _She didn't drop her smile, but her body tensed up a little and her cheeks looked a tad pink when the boy closed in on her. Her face became a deeper shade of red when he leaned in so close that he began blocking her face._

 _Itachi stared at the screen, trembling with shocked outrage. It looked like they were kissing! He couldn't tell from this angle. But she hadn't pushed him away. Why wasn't she pushing that imbecile away?!_

 _Unless they were….dating?!_

 _It would explain why Izumi was all dressed up, but just the very thought of her trying to be beautiful for someone else filled the young ANBU captain with such rage that it shook his body._

 _Itachi watched as the guy walked past her, leaving Izumi to look down with a faraway look in her eyes, the smile now smaller, but the red never leaving her cheeks. He wondered what she was thinking about, and also wondered if he even wanted to know. He then watched as she followed the guy in the tea shop to pick a table outside, underneath the lit paper lamps._

 _It definitely looked like a date. Itachi bowed his head until his bangs overshadowed his eyes._

 _"Captain? Sir?" one of the ANBU spoke from behind._

 _Instead of answering, Itachi quickly left the room without another word._

When he had been doing some simple training earlier with his kunai, the targets he had used each had large cracks in them from the impact of the blades. His Sharingan had been activated in the heat of the moment. Though each blade managed to hit the center of each target, he hadn't been paying much attention.

Anyone who didn't know him that well wouldn't be able to tell the difference, but this was different.

When he was calm, he could be disconcerting enough. When he was angry…..

Itachi closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before continuing to walk down the dark hallway to find the exit. He needed some air….and an explanation!

 _What was she_ doing? _I didn't think that she would actually….But why wouldn't she? I know I haven't given her any sign of returning her affections, nor have I been hanging around with her lately..._

He had waited too long and now was paying the price.

They had known each other since they were toddlers, but lately he had been pushing her away so much during that time that it had put a strain on whatever relationship they had.

Many still believed that Itachi and Izumi were lovers. Which was _technically_ not true. But still….he could now see why they would continue to make that mistake.

Izumi had always had feelings for him. He already knew that. She never said it aloud, but as they grew older, it became obvious in the way she brightened like the sun in his presence, her warm brown eyes twinkling with such happy and knowing affection that always melted all the icy tension in his entire being.

Shinko, a waitress who had been on his team years ago, had told him before that for a once-in-a-generation genius, he could be a real blockhead for not noticing it right away. His friend Shisui said something similar to that.

In his defense, girls always seemed to catch on quicker with these things than guys, and Itachi was never just an ordinary guy. In his mind, he and Izumi go too far back to even consider their long-termed friendship a romance, unless he would be willing to risk destroying it.

However awkward he felt about it at first, just knowing that he was loved so sincerely and compassionately by a girl like Izumi Uchiha made him secretly warm inside. Happy, even. He knew it was selfish, unbelievably so, keeping something like this to himself and letting Izumi continue believing her love for him was one-sided, but he couldn't act on it, nor was he ready to get rid of the one special feeling that made him feel alive and full of self-driven purpose.

He didn't want anything so confusing as romantic love to mess up what they already had, especially when their relationship was strained enough as it was. With his ANBU duties, he had been distancing himself from her, rarely having any time to think about her, let alone go see her.

Itachi had been resolved with this reason….until now.

...

Izumi should _not_ be feeling guilty. There was _nothing_ to ashamed of. It was just one date. At a tea shop. Very casual, with a touch of decency and romantic atmosphere. And most certainly _not_ the same one she and Itachi ate at together.

 _Itachi-kun…._

Nope! No! She was not going there! Not tonight. It would ruin the whole point of the date, and it was not fair to the boy who asked her out very recently. And besides, it wasn't like she was cheating, and definitely _not_ on Itachi. Her heart twisted, like her corners of her smile.

Raiko seemed pleasant enough this evening. He definitely paid attention to her the whole time. Maybe not always. It was hard to tell with the way he was looking at her the whole time, especially when she did most of the talking. He did seem charming, to the point when he almost kissed her at the gate of the tea shop, just when their date barely begun. She had been so shocked when he leaned down to kiss, but a certain stoic, tear-troughed face that she loved flashed in her mind, and she had pulled away slightly, teasing him that the kiss doesn't come until the date ends.

And besides….it seemed way too soon. Did she really want Raiko, a boy she barely knew, to be her first kiss?

"So, you liked the tea?" Raiko asked, giving her a charming smile as they left the shop. He had wrapped an arm around her torso, placing one hand on her hip.

She instantly became uncomfortable with his hand on her, but didn't want to be impolite. "O-Oh, it was very nice, thank you."

As they walked down the road, a figure was peering down at them from the rooftops. Red eyes were fixed on the hand gripping Izumi's hip, seeming ready to burn them away.

Raiko tugged her closer, and Izumi fought hard not to cringe. This was just getting awkward now. "Hey, what's the matter? You look nervous."

"W-Why would I be nervous? Ah-ha!" Izumi laughed loudly, feeling herself sweat drop at her own reaction.

Raiko smirked. "You know, you're really cute when you get all shy like that."

 _Cute?_ Izumi blinked up at him, feeling her face heat up. "Um….Thanks. GAH!" Then she gasped when feeling the hand on her hip shift to her bum before tightening, her mind screaming _Perv-Alert!,_ and jumped away, shoving him away from her. "Raiko!" she snapped.

Raiko held up his hands, giving her an innocent look. "Sorry! It was an accident. I swear."

 _Was it?_ Izumi eyeballed him suspiciously, so sharply it made the boy sweat a little nervously. "Okay…." she muttered, finally. But he wasn't hip-walking with her this time.

From above them, a pair of hands sunk their fingers into the tiled rooftops. It was taking everything the person could to not leap down and murder the boy. His katana was just on his back.

They arrived at her home in the clan district. "Well, this is me," Izumi said in a cheerful tone, as they stood on the front porch. Raiko started to lean forward to kiss her, but by instinct, she took a step back, giving him a shaky smile. "So, uh….good nigh-"

"Why don't we hang out a little longer?" interrupted Raiko. He nodded toward the door. "Let's go inside."

Izumi shook her head. "My mom's inside," she told him.

Raiko raised an eyebrow. "Liar. You told me she was out working late tonight."

"Did I?" Izumi wanted to slap herself. _Me and my big mouth!_ Her mom didn't even know she was on a date tonight, and it would be a couple more hours before she would come home. "Oh, y-yeah, I forgot." Raiko stepped closer to her.

"So, why don't we go inside and….I don't know, get cozy," he whispered seductively, his face leaning down over hers.

 _Get….WHAT?_ Izumi's eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. Oh, gods, this was _not_ how she planned the evening to end. When feeling his breath over her lips ( _Was that mint, she smelled?_ ), her skin crawled as she began to pull away, but his hands caught her arm and began pulling her in. "Raiko, wait….no!" Izumi struggled to run her face from him, shoving at his chest. His hand reached to grab the back of her neck like claws, suddenly feeling more forceful, and her panic grew. "Sto-Stop it! Get OFF!"

His lips barely brushed her own, and in a fuel of anger _(Alright, that's it!),_ she was about ready to fully lash out at him with a punch in the stomach or a kick in the groin, when the boy was grabbed by the shirt from behind and yanked away from her.

Whipping Raiko around, Itachi punched him across the face with a loud crunch.

"Itachi-kun?!" gasped Izumi.

Raiko held onto his bloodied nose, glaring up in shock and anger at Itachi. "Why you-!" He moved to lash out, but Itachi caught his wrist and punched him again in the stomach, harder than before. His eyes were bright red with the Sharingan. Izumi shuddered. If looks could kill (and it _definitely_ was possible with that power), the menace in Itachi's eyes would have done the job a hundred times over.

When Raiko fell to the ground, choking, Itachi looked down at him in disgust. "Either you are deaf or extremely dumb," he said in his emotionless yet rigid tone, brittled with ice, as the other boy struggled to sit up, "but when she says no, she _means_ no."

"Bastard! This is none of your business!" spat Raiko spitefully. Itachi's eyes narrowed.

"On the contrary, seeing this as an assault on not only a helpless young woman, but on a close friend of mine since childhood, I make it my business," he said, while Izumi deadpanned with a sweat drop.

"'Helpless?'" she muttered in annoyance. _He took me by surprise, that's all! And I_ was _going to hit him._

"Who says I'm assaulting her? She _wanted_ it," He smirked, eyeing her slim curves of her dress, "She was practically asking for it."

"Itachi-kun, no!" Sensing an attack coming, Izumi instantly jumped in front of Itachi just in time when seeing the slight widening in Itachi's red eyes, placing her hands on his chest to hold him back as he started forward. His lips were curled into a snarl, angered eyes directed straight at a smug Raiko behind her, while Izumi struggled to keep him from place, forcing to grab his shoulders. "Stop! Itachi-kun, don't!" she shouted at him, trying but failing to meet his eyes since he was a head taller than her.

With his gaze was still fixed on her date with such open loathing, she really was really worried that Itachi would kill him with a genjutsu. If that happened, shit would hit the fan quickly for him, for her, and then the already fragile reputation of entire Uchiha clan. Izumi knew he wouldn't risk that….at least, if he was thinking straight.

"Don't do it! I mean it!"

Itachi frowned down at her in shock, tightening his jaw as Izumi used all her strength to keep him from attacking this creep. Since he was much stronger than her, he would easily shaken her off and continue his attack, but he didn't. _Why?_ Why was she defending this pervert from him? Did she really have feelings for _him?_ The very thought made him sick.

Izumi didn't turn her gaze away from his, her eyes pleading to him. "It's not worth it," she said softly. "Please!"

Itachi seriously doubted that, even though that was the childish side in his head talking. He could still remember those filthy hands prodding her inappropriately on their way home, and just the very thought made him want to slice them off with his sword.

Raiko sneered. "Tch! Damned Uchiha!"

SMACK!

Eyes hardening in anger, Izumi had whipped around like lighting and slapped Raiko hard across the cheek, leaving a red hand mark on the shocked boy.

Gone was the gentle, timid appearance of a young girl, now replaced with a fierce, fiery glare of a young woman. Though Izumi was much smaller than Itachi, instead of holding him back now, she kept her back to him as though to shield him from Raiko.

"You _forget_ that I am an Uchiha, too," Izumi said cooly, surprising both men with her change in attitude. She stepped toward him, making Raiko look unsure around her. This was the first time he was seeing her look so badass, which was both attractive and terrifying. "The same ancestral blood runs through my veins. You insult him, you insult _me_ , and that I will _not_ stand for above everything else! And as for tonight, I should have told you this from the beginning: if you ever so much touch me or an other girl as forcefully as you did right now and I learn about it, I will personally be the one to put you in a hospital for being a pervert and attempting assault!"

Itachi fought the urge to smirk. This was the side of Izumi that meant business, revealing her stronger and more terrifying side that she often kept buried under her kind, gentle nature. It was like she had two personalities, both of which he was proud to know about her.

" _You_ would put me in a hospital?" Raiko tried to sound skeptical as he eyed her tinier frame. "You couldn't even stop me from kissing you."

Izumi raised an eyebrow up at him. "I may not look like it, but I have taken down plenty of more seasoned enemy shinobi on my missions," she said unwaveringly, "so you have no idea what I can do. You trying to steal a kiss took me by surprise, but it won't happen again. And compared to Itachi-kun here, I'm being nice. So consider this my final warning, and get the hell of my porch!"

Raiko snarled in anger, clenching his fists and gritting his teeth. Izumi remained unfazed as she continued glaring at him, while behind her, Itachi watched the exchange, looking surprised and impressed.

Finally, Raiko spat near their feet and turned around, stalking away, muttering profanities.

When he was gone, Izumi's angry appearance drained into a tired one, her shoulders slumping from the loss of tension. Though she was victorious with getting the upper hand on Raiko, she still felt the bitter wash of humiliation. Even worse that Itachi was here to see her not only on a date with a random guy, but the fact that it was a failed date.

He watched her with concern. "Izumi?" he asked.

"What are you doing here, Itachi-kun?" she asked, still not turning around to face him. Her tone cracked with emotion, clearly traced with tears.

Itachi watched her carefully, from the length of her hair to the slenderness of her frame that was wrapped in that lovely summer dress. He wished she would turn around so that he would see her face. But then again, he didn't want to see her tears. It gave him the urge to go after Raiko and have him suffer for making her cry, but he wasn't going to leave Izumi like this.

"You were on a date, weren't you?"

Izumi sighed, her breath shuddering, before crossing arms across her chest as though chilled. She looked so small and fragile at that moment that Itachi barely resisted the urge to take her by the shoulders and puller her into a hug, because only she ever had that luxury from him. "I was."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "And you didn't bother to let me know about it?"

Izumi's voice was tight. "I'm sorry, but I didn't think you cared about such things." Her fingers pressed into her arms painfully. "And besides, it wasn't like I needed your permission," she added, turning toward her front door and going inside her house. While leaving the door open, Itachi took that as an invitation to come inside and followed as she stormed ahead, her arms still crossed.

"But with _him_ , Izumi?" he said, making the brunette stop in her tracks. "His intentions were obvious the whole time. He was only after your body, but you still ignored the signs."

"I don't need you to-The _whole time_?" Izumi whipped around to face him in disbelief, though nearly jumping in surprise when realizing he was so close to her, his own expression hard and cold. Taking in his ANBU uniform, realization sank in. "You-Were you _spying_ on me?"

"I'm not at liberty to answer that," said Itachi cooly.

"You were spying on me! Admit it!" cried Izumi. "Unbelievable! That's why you're here! It was from ANBU, wasn't it? That's why-" She cut herself off with a frustrated groan, her brown eyes quickly filling with tears, but turned away before they would fall. "Look, it doesn't matter! So what if Raiko turned out to be a jerk? I'm fifteen! I can go out with whoever I want, and so can you! The problem here is that you never do, or if you did, I certainly don't know who you bother going out with, if you even make the time to, because you never tell me! So why should you have to know who I go out with?"

"You're being ridiculous," Itachi told her, though there was an edge in his tone.

"Am I?" Izumi glared up at him. "I'm tired, humiliated, and heartbroken, so I'm just being blunt here, Itachi-kun!" she retorted, another tear running down her cheek.

"Then so will I!" said Itachi, meeting her eyes with equal intensity. "I never tell you whom I date because I never dated anyone. I didn't care for such things, nor did I have the time."

"You never do," Izumi said quietly, her heart shattering all over again with those words. She had heard them before.

"Because it's the truth. And even if I did, I don't want to…."

Izumi laughed brokenly, choking as more tears escaped her eyes in a flood. She covered her face in her hands. "Of course you don't!" she cried out, laughing and sobbing at once until her body shook. She thought her chest would explode from the amount of pain she felt. She really wished Itachi would leave now. Just him being here was killing her on the inside.

Just for a moment, even in a moment of bitterness and humiliation from her failed date, she had allowed herself to hope again. That with Itachi here to defend her, only to lay it out that he didn't care…..

Calloused hands took her tear-streaked face, lifting them from her own, and suddenly she was met with warm lips. Izumi made a sound of surprise in her throat when realizing Itachi was kissing her. When his lips molded more deeply into hers, she closed her eyes and responded, her mind going blank while her pain-filled heart instantly replaced with fuzzy warmth.

The kiss was deep, but chaste. When he finally pulled away, his serious black eyes met her wide shining brown, filled with open tenderness and silent, pained desperation that reflected her own. His thumbs wiped away her tears as he cupped her face, mesmerized by her gentle beauty. "Not unless it is you," he whispered, before pressing his forehead to hers until their noses bumped, "and only you."

 _Because you are mine….and mine alone._

* * *

 **Probably a little OOC, but who cares?**

 **Inspired by the brief scene in anime of Itachi spying on Izumi on ANBU surveillance, who was seemingly flirting with another Uchiha guy. Itachi definitely looked interested in seeing Izumi, but the scenes of him spying on her, she always seemed to be chatting with another male, usually an Uchiha.**


	7. Euphoria

**Summary:** Two lovers in the dark. One of their intimate moments.

 **Rated:** M for pure smut

 **This is purely a lemon. A sweet Valentine treat for y'all)**

 **P.S. If you're under eighteen, this is not for you! It's pretty graphic.**

* * *

 **Euphoria**

.

.

.

Her back arched when his fingers slowly, ever so slowly, slid up her thighs. Dragging along the curves of her narrow hips. His palms were hot, rough against her softer, creamy pallor. Her mouth parted, heaving breaths, a whimper of pleasure escaping, when his breath ticked the soft flesh of her throbbing puss. He pressed his lips there, making her gasp.

Then came the tongue; she let out a cry, jerking in hot pleasure as both his hands tightened their hold around her thighs to keep her close as he sucked. Her hands found his head, fingers digging into his long dark hair with ferocity as she soaked.

"Ita-chi-kun…ah…" she breathed, eyes that been closed now parted open, clouded.

The minutes lasting an eternity of torturous bliss, and just when she felt on the verge of release, his lips moved away from her buds. Confused, Izumi lifted her head to peer down, finding shiny onyx eyes looking back at her. Itachi's mouth formed into a smirk when seeing her frustrated look.

Then, eyes never leaving hers, he loosened his grip on his legs to shifted them up along her her hips, agonizingly slow in motion over her stomach as he leaned down to kiss where his touch had been. Relaxing from this gentle care, Izumi closed her eyes, craving the tender care of his divine touch worshiping her body.

She could feel one hand continued its journey along her ribcage, his lips and tongue now moving up her tummy, while the other lightly dragged back down passed her lips, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake.

As he continued to move up, his hand smooth up her torso until his palm slit over one of her perked breasts, the soft flesh molding perfectly in his grasp. Gripping it, he shifted to take the other breast in his mouth, sucking and nipping at it with lustful desire, silently delighting in his brown-haired lover's moans. _Izumi._ Her soft cries sweetly reaching his ears made his erected member grow harder with need, digging heatedly into the inner borders of her leg. Feeling this, Izumi let out a breathless giggle, making Itachi smile at her mirth, even as he fought back a tortured groan while he continued to suck, his loose hair strings trailing in pools between her heaving breasts.

His other hand relocated the folds of her womanhood, still dripping wet, and slid his index finger into her entrance, replacing the brunette's giggle with a breathless cry.

Lifting his head to lift himself above her, right hand shifting from her breast to hold her down by the shoulder, knees keeping her legs wide apart, Itachi in his haze of heated passion found Izumi's lustful brown eyes searching his, sparked with intense pleasure, desperation, and love which increased with her parting mouth, panting with exaltation, as he continued thrusting his finger through her entrance.

Then two, his middle with his index, stretching her out from the inside as they thrusted and hooked, hot and soaked. Like their bodies, already glistening with sweat.

Her Sharingan activated.

Izumi's red eyes lured him in, his parted mouth twisted, matching the mad plea in her empowered gaze. Begging him, with all her fair and rosy glory heating her cheeks, contrasting beautifully to her long, now wet, brown hair spread out on the red silky sheets of their bed. Like a red-eyed angel from the light nestled on a rose petal of darkness, so ethereal and perfect.

 _So beautiful._

His erected member throbbed. His own panting increased. And now, with an automatic flare, his own Sharingan activated. The raven-haired Uchiha leaned closer to her, thrusting his fingers where it was tender, making her squeak out under his hold.

"Izumi...Tell me what you want," Itachi breathed, quickening his pace to drive Izumi harder. This swelled the dark pleasure within him.

Breathing hard, Izumi stared up at him with mad frenzy, of filled with love and desire. "I want you...I want you now!"

"What you you say?" Itachi whispered seductively.

Izumi gritted her teeth, ready to sob if not to rage. "Please!" With all his beauty and sexiness, damn him, she thought. But oh, she loved him. She was his, and fully at his mercy. "Itachi-kun!"

On the verge of losing control himself, Itachi slipped his fingers out of her gushing folds and sat up to place his pulsing member. With a single thrust, he buried himself inside of her, making Izumi scream.

Grabbing her hips to hook her knees over his arms, his hips began to move, slowly at first, digging deeply into her hot depths; a gutterly groan of deep pleasure finally left him, mingling with Izumi's lighter, breathless ones. Her walls squeezed around him like a sweet fire, so he quickened his paced. Her thrusts met his, her hands reaching out to grip his wrists to hold on as she moved in motion across the sheets. Hearing skin slapping skin, both lost their minds to the indescribable pleasure of their joining.

Somewhere in the middle of their thrusts, Izumi felt hands around her hips pulled her upward into her lover's lap until their chests pressed to one another. Their eyes met, still joined, and Izumi found Itachi's lips, closing her eyes as she tasted the bittersweet saltiness on his lips. Closing her knees around his hips, wrapping her arms around in sweaty neck, she gently broke away from their kiss to ride on his lap, feeling him drive upward inside her with ferocity. Normally passive face contorting with agonized pleasure, Itachi buried his face in her neck as he met her thrusts, gripping her back and hips until he was sure to leave bruises, not helping himself as he left out cries of his own muffled in her collarbone.

He was so close. And so was she. Growing tighter, tighter, groans increasing, pace quickening…Then with a single powerful thrust, they let out a cry as an explosion of white blinded their visions they came together, tightening their hold around the other in fierce embrace, gently riding it out in euphoria.

Holding her close in his strong embrace as she slumped against him on his lap, Itachi kissed her hair and let it linger, listening to her glorious breaths. They were both steaming hot and soaked together.

Izumi, still recovering, breathed out, "I love you."

Itachi let out a sigh, content. "I love you, too."

* * *

 **Happy Valentine's Day!**


	8. Only Him

**Summary:** She had never thought she would be so happy to be wrong. There was only ever him, and no one else. A part 2 snippet of "You Are Mine And Mine Alone," from Izumi's perspective.

 **Rated: T**

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 **Only Him**

"Not unless it is you," he whispered, before pressing his forehead to hers until their noses bumped, "and only you."

Her tear-stained cheeks flushed pink under his thumbs, Izumi stared up at him. The warmth of his lips still lingered on her own. Emotions surged through her at once. Surprise, happiness, disbelief, happiness, fear, happiness, love, _happiness_ ….This wasn't an illusion, was it? For so long, she had waited, hoped, suffered in silence while she continued waiting and hoping for Itachi to see her the way she saw him. To feel for her as she did for him. To acknowledge her love for him and take a chance on her….but he never did.

Until now.

"Now, would you please not cry," continued Itachi quietly, still gazing into her eyes with a silent plea, "and do me the honor of going on a date with me?"

Izumi let out a breath as she leaned forward and gave him another simple kiss, which Itachi accepted, his own face flushed with pleasure.

It was only until they entered their teen years, when she started seeing Itachi less and less, that Izumi was starting to lose hope. He was simply not interested in romance, or maybe just not interested in her. She had started to become convinced that he was seeing others in secret, possibly someone from ANBU. It would make sense if it was. They went on the same missions, had the same roughness in character and skill….Itachi's life was about being a ninja, and therefore so was an ANBU's life. That was the conclusion Izumi made and the thought alone broke her heart.

So reluctantly taking the advice from her mother and other friends of hers, Izumi decided to give other guys a chance. She had no feelings for them, and a part of her became guilty, feeling disloyal to her love for Itachi for deciding to do this….but then the other part of her was angry at him. It didn't have to be any of his business. He probably didn't even notice what she did with her personal life anymore. He probably wouldn't even blink if he learned she kissed another guy, or even gave herself to another...

Oh, but how wrong she had been! And how much more relieved she now felt, so relieved that she felt like crying again, only this time in joy.

 _I don't want anyone else,_ she thought, the truth soaring from the center of her heart as she gazed into his ebony eyes, now so glossy with warmth she can her own happiness reflect from them. _I don't_ need _anyone else._

"Yes," she whispered, and then nudged her nose with Itachi's playfully, his bangs tickling her skin. "It's about damn time...you jerk." He smirked, letting out a brief chuckle that that sent another wave of warm giddiness through her, bringing more heat to her cheeks.

 _There is only him...only Itachi-kun._

* * *

 **Just the extended snippet of a previous drabble. Hope you liked it :)**


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